Fighting has erupted in the town of Bariire as part of ongoing operations to retake territory from an Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group

The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) has confirmed that more than 50 Al-Shabaab militants were killed during intense fighting on Friday in the southern Somali town of Bariire.

According to the statement released by AUSSOM on Sunday, the joint operation-conducted in coordination with the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF)-targeted positions held by the al-Qaeda-linked group in Bariire, a strategic agricultural hub located 73 kilometers southwest of of the capital, Mogadishu.

AUSSOM rejected recent media claims suggesting that its own forces had suffered heavy casualties during the clash. Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia, said that AU and Somali forces "are determined to recapture Bariire town and other territories still under Al-Shabaab control to ensure lasting peace and security for the people of Somalia."

Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent groups, Al-Shabab in particular, have been carrying out regular attacks in several African states, including those in the Sahel region - Burkina Faso, Mali, and Somalia in East Africa. The group continues to carry out raids, bombings, and targeted assassinations in an effort to destabilize the Somali government and regional security structures.

In July, a military helicopter deployed under the AU mission crashed at Mogadishu's international airport, killing five personnel.

Previously in the same month, another helicopter, operated by Burundian troops, made an emergency landing in the Middle Shabelle region during an evacuation mission. While Al-Shabaab claimed to have shot down the aircraft, AUSSOM stated that the chopper was forced to land due to a technical malfunction. All crew members survived that incident.

In a separate attack in May, at least 10 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside the Damanyo military base in Mogadishu, targeting a group of teenage recruits waiting to enlist. Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attack.

(RT.com)